Juvenile Literature

The books in this collection navigate themes and ideas appropriate for younger readers. Whether you're looking for contemporary hits like Front Desk by Kelly Yang or beloved classics like Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, you can explore this collection to find a title that will excite the young readers in your life.

Publication year 1980

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Siblings, Coming of Age, Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Humor, Coming of Age, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Superfudge is a children’s novel written by Judy Blume first published in 1980. Blume is an author of children’s novels that have won several awards. Superfudge won the Children’s Choice Award in 1981 and the Early Readers Award in 1991. It was adapted into a television series which ran from 1995-1997. Superfudge is the third book in the Fudge series. This guide utilizes the 1988 publication of this novel.Plot SummaryAt the beginning of the novel... Read Superfudge Summary

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Self Discovery, Fame, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Coming of Age, Fathers, Friendship, Grandparents, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Art, Order & Chaos

Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

Surviving the Applewhites is a children’s novel written by American author Stephanie S. Tolan and was first published in 2002.The narrative follows Jake Semple, a troubled teenager forced to move in with the unconventional and eccentric Applewhite family following an incident at school. Jake struggles to fit in at first but gradually sheds his past transgressions and undergoes a transformative journey toward self-discovery and redemption. The novel touches on Personal Growth and Transformation, Individuality Versus... Read Surviving the Applewhites Summary

Publication year 1935

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Indian Literature, Asian Literature, Children`s Literature, Asian Literature, Humor, Classic Fiction

Swami and Friends, set in British-colonial India in the year 1930, begins with an introduction to Swaminathan and his four principal friends: Somu, Sankar, Mani, and the Pea. Swaminathan appreciates his friends’ dramatically different personalities, and these differences only strengthen their powerful bond. The arrival of Rajam, who is the son of Malgudi’s new police superintendent, changes everything. Initially, Swaminathan and Mani despise Rajam, but the three boys become best friends after confronting him. Likewise... Read Swami and Friends Summary

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Children`s Literature, World History

Jonathon Auxier’s Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster (2018) is a work of fiction written for middle grade readers. It tells the story of the brave Nan Sparrow, a young chimney sweep who is given the gift of a golem—a protective monster—by her father figure, the Sweep. Nan navigates cruelty and poverty in her journey to achieve a fairer life for herself and her friends, forming a loving pseudo-family along the way... Read Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster Summary

Publication year 2022

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Family, Friendship, Perseverance

Tags Sports, Realistic Fiction, African American Literature, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Trust & Doubt

Tags Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor

Swindle is a middle-grade novel published in 2008 by Canadian American author Gordon Korman. In the story, 6th-grader Griffin Bing enlists a group of his classmates to retrieve a rare Babe Ruth baseball card from an unscrupulous collector known as Swindle, who has conned Griffin out of the card. The book is the first of eight books, as of 2019, in the popular Swindle series. Nickelodeon made a film of the same name based on the novel in... Read Swindle Summary

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Education, Race, Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Family, Fathers, Mothers, Siblings, Social Class, Community, Equality, Justice

Tags Historical Fiction, Social Justice, World War II, Children`s Literature, Military & War, World History, Arts & Culture

Publication year 1972

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Humor, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, an episodic children’s book by Judy Blume, is a first-person narrative recounted by nine-year-old protagonist Peter Hatcher. A work of realistic fiction, this book is divided into 10 chapters and directed at young readers from the third- to fifth-grade levels. Originally published by Dutton Children’s Books in 1972, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is the first of five books in a series. The book received a number of... Read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing Summary

Publication year 1997

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Coming of Age, Friendship, Teamwork

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Coming of Age, Dramatic Literature, Sports, Gothic Literature, Natural Disaster, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

In Edward Bloor’s 1997 debut novel, Tangerine, Paul Fisher navigates the treacherous waters of attending middle school in a new town. In this young adult novel, the coming-of-age tale is complicated by the mystery of why Paul lost so much of his sight—the apocryphal story is that he looked at an eclipse too long—and by the presence of his violent older brother, Erik.Included in the ALA Top Ten Best Books of the Year, Tangerine teams... Read Tangerine Summary

Publication year 1994

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt

Tags Realistic Fiction, African American Literature, Grief & Death, Depression & Suicide, Relationships, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

Written in 1994 by Sharon M. Draper, Tears of a Tiger incorporates various modes of writing, including personal essays, newspaper articles (formal writing), journal entries, and conversations to convey the story of a teenage boy’s descent into grief, guilt, and suicidal ideation following a car crash in which he, as the driver, causes the death of a good friend. The novel explores the importance of mental health in high school students, the effects of drunk... Read Tears of a Tiger Summary

Publication year 2011

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Disability, Animals, Equality

Tags Disability, Animals, Inspirational, Agriculture, Children`s Literature, Science & Nature, Biography

Author and naturalist Sy Montgomery’s Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World (2012) is a biography of the animal behaviorist, animal rights advocate, and autism activism Temple Grandin. The biography is intended for young adult readers and discusses Grandin’s life from early childhood to the present day. It explores the challenges she faced with autism, the development of her creativity and her passion for animals, and the persistence... Read Temple Grandin Summary

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Childhood & Youth, Family

Tags Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Horror & Suspense, Realistic Fiction

Watt Key’s 2016 children’s adventure novel, Terror at Bottle Creek, follows a group of children as they attempt to survive a hurricane that strikes the swamps and rivers of Alabama. This study guide uses the first edition published by Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers in 2016. Plot SummaryCort is 13 years old and lives with his father on a riverboat in Alabama, along with his cherished dog, Catfish. His father works as a... Read Terror at Bottle Creek Summary

Publication year 1958

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Tags Harlem Renaissance, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Arts & Culture, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

A “large woman with a large purse that ha[s] everything in it but hammer and nails” is walking home late at night when a teenage boy runs up to her and tries to steal her purse (Paragraph 1). He loses his balance and falls, and the woman “kick[s] him right square in his blue-jeaned sitter” before hauling him to his feet (Paragraph 1). She questions why he tried to rob her before remarking that his... Read Thank You, M'am Summary